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This study examined how science teachers' knowledge of research methods, neuroscience and drug addiction changed through their participation in a 5-day summer science institute. The data for this study evolved from a four-year NIH funded science education project called Addiction Research and Investigation for Science Educators (ARISE). Findings were based on pre- and post-test evaluation data from three annual cohorts in June 2010, 2011 and 2012. Researchers found significant improvement in teacher knowledge overall and on all subscales. Teachers with lower pre-test scores showed the greatest gain in post-test scores. What made this in-service unique was that the 5E pedagogical model was used to teach the teachers and demonstrate 5E instruction in the science classroom. Through the use of the 5E teaching method, we found that teachers in our cohorts with the least skill had higher rates of gain. A strategy that has been used extensively to teach science to children, this model moves away from didactic methods of in-service pedagogy. These findings suggest that the 5E model could be an effective way to teach teachers as well as students, particularly new and/or less skilled teachers, who often tend to have high numbers of English Learner (EL) students in their classes.

Introduction: The year 2015 marks the fourth year of a drought in California. With no signs of the drought improving, communities in California are left to prioritize their water usage. In the Central Valley, the limited water supply has forced farmers to prioritize on acreage and planting, decisions that trickle down and may impact farmworker families. Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of a drought in California on family decision-making and coping strategies in the context of broader community changes affecting rural families of Mexican-origin. Methods: This study recruited participants from the Niños Sanos, Familia Sana (NSFS, Healthy Children, Healthy Family) childhood obesity intervention study, conducted from 2011-2015. The primary occupation of two-thirds of the NSFS families was agricultural work. Based on the US Department of Agriculture 18-item food security assessment tool, a baseline household survey among 336 families in 2012 revealed that 45% of the households were food insecure. In 2015, a bilingual graduate student moderated four focus groups in a convenience sample of 26 NSFS families, who were recruited by promotoras (local lay workers). Males and females were assigned to different focus group discussions, each of which lasted 1 ½ hours. Two researchers reviewed transcriptions of the audio recordings and analyzed them for emerging themes. Results/Conclusions: In this Mexican-origin rural population, households headed by less educated mothers, older fathers, and adults engaged in farm work were most vulnerable to food insecurity. The focus groups revealed community changes including out-migration of families, increased food prices, and changes in employment (fewer hours, less predictable, need to travel further to find work). These changes have led families to shift their family decision-making and economize to cope with the unpredictable nature of the agricultural workforce. Paying bills and rent takes priority over food, clothing, medicine and other expenses. All groups mentioned having to deny child requests and family outings. Women noted increased stress on the family and concern about keeping families together. Men expressed the desire to avoid disruption to their children's lives but were actively considering moving elsewhere. As a community, they have remained united and working together to withstand the challenges the drought has introduced.

In the United States, how to provide a high-quality education to all students has been a focal discussion, especially in urban settings. One potential solution that has emerged to confront this issue involves urban teacher residency (UTR) programs that provide innovations concerning the recruitment, preparation, and retention of teachers in high-need urban schools. In this study, we conducted a content analysis and compared steering documents of a UTR program in California with materials from a teacher-training program in Finland. Despite differences in both the legislative and local contexts under which the two programs operate, we found many similarities in both the steering documents and course offerings of these two teacher-training programs. For example, both promote aspects of social justice and are research-based. Furthermore, both offer a variety of types of courses, such as those emphasizing the pedagogical bases of education and research studies in education.

Background: Alcohol‐related liver disease (ALD) is the leading indication for liver transplantation in the United States. The aim of this study was to describe the impact of phosphatidylethanol (PEth) in the surveillance for alcohol use after liver transplantation. Methods: We conducted a single‐center retrospective study to assess the impact of phosphatidylethanol (PEth) for the surveillance of alcohol use and its correlation to health outcomes. We compared orthotopic liver transplant (OLT) recipients for ALD transplanted between 2016 and 2018, before the introduction of PEth, to those transplanted between 2019 and 2022, after the introduction of PEth. Alcohol relapse versus nonrelapse cohorts were also compared. Follow‐up time for all cohorts was limited to 3 years post‐OLT. Continuous variables were analyzed with an independent t‐test and categorical variables with Fischer's exact test and chi‐square test. The Kaplan–Meier method and log‐rank test were used to assess alcohol‐free survival. Results: We reviewed 263 patients who were transplanted for ALD; 46 (17.5%) patients were noted to have at least one episode of alcohol relapse after their transplant. Patients with alcohol relapse had more frequent episodes of elevated liver enzymes compared with nonrelapsed patients (4.35 episodes vs. 2.46 episodes respectively, p < 0.001). The number of hospitalizations was also noted to be elevated among relapsed versus nonrelapsed patients; however, this was not statistically significant (2.85 vs. 2.50 respectively, p = 0.307). When comparing relapse rates before and after the introduction of PEth, relapses were notably detected more frequently after the introduction of PEth (17% vs. 7%, p = 0.012). No difference was noted in rates of mortality between patients who did or did not relapse. Conclusions: Overall, PEth is an effective surveillance tool in the postliver transplant population to monitor for alcohol relapse. Early detection of relapse can lead to opportunities for early intervention to avoid alcohol‐related complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is a research study of secondary science teacher professional development, in which 30 teachers learned about and implemented a series of teaching strategies aimed at increasing the participation and learning of English Learners in schools serving largely Latino immigrant communities within California's Central Valley. This study focuses on six of the 30 science teachers. Through a professional summer development workshop, teachers were exposed to science content that included the use of pedagogical strategies that intended to improve knowledge acquisition for students in immigrant communities. The pedagogical approach used for enhancing teacher skills was the 5E model. The methodology used to examine the pedagogical approach was qualitative teacher observations. Results indicate that all 6 teachers and their students increased engagement and explanation abilities, and students had opportunities to explore and elaborate their understanding of science content when teachers implemented the 5E model. (Contains 2 figures and 1 table.)

In the United States, a substantial proportion of the adult population (36% of women and 34% of men) from all socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds report experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) over the life course. Family risk factors have been linked to adolescent and young adult IPV involvement, yet few studies have examined the effect of multiple, co-occurring adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in the stability and change of IPV behaviors over young adulthood—the period of highest risk for IPV. We investigated the relationship between the degree of ACE exposure and IPV victimization and perpetration at age 22 and two years later at age 24 among a sample of Hispanic young adults (N = 1,273) in Southern California. Negative binomial regression models compared the incident rate ratio (IRR) of past-year verbal and physical IPV victimization and perpetration of respondents with 1–3 ACE and with ≥4 ACE to their peers who reported no history of ACE cross-sectionally (age 22) and longitudinally (age 24). At age 22, participants with 1–3 and ≥4 ACE were overrepresented in all IPV behaviors and had higher IRRs of verbal and physical victimization and perpetration compared to their peers with no ACE. By age 24, respondents with a history of ≥4 ACE were at significantly greater risk for escalating IPV behaviors over this time period than their peers with 1–3 ACE and no ACE. These findings highlight the importance of investing in coordinated efforts to develop strategies that help young people cope with the downstream effects of early life adversity. Research should continue to identify what individual, community, and cultural assets that promote resilience and are promising foci of IPV prevention approaches among vulnerable populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses current constraints on Chicano Studies programs: limited Chicano enrollment, poor retention and graduation rates, scarce Chicano faculty, and weak faculty support for Affirmative Action. Reports on operations of 38 Chicano Studies programs and their responses to these problems. Contains 20 references and 13 tables. (SV)

Background: Obesity and overweight have increased dramatically in the United States over the last decades. The complexity of interrelated causal factors that result in obesity needs to be addressed within the cultural dynamic of sub-populations. In this study, we sought to estimate the effects of a multifaceted, community-based intervention on body mass index (BMI) among Mexican-heritage children.Methods: Niños Sanos, Familia Sana (Healthy Children, Healthy Family) was a quasi-experimental intervention study designed to reduce the rate of BMI growth among Mexican-heritage children in California's Central Valley. Two rural communities were matched based on demographic and environmental characteristics and were assigned as the intervention or comparison community. The three-year intervention included parent workshops on nutrition and physical activity; school-based nutrition lessons and enhanced physical education program for children; and a monthly voucher for fruits and vegetables. Eligible children were between 3 and 8 years old at baseline. Intent-to-treat analyses were estimated using linear mixed-effect models with random intercepts. We ran a series of models for each gender where predictors were fixed except interactions between age groups and obesity status at baseline with intervention to determine the magnitude of impact on BMI.Results: At baseline, mean (SD) BMI z-score (zBMI) was 0.97 (0.98) in the intervention group (n = 387) and 0.98 (1.02) in the comparison group (n = 313) (NS). The intervention was significantly associated with log-transformed BMI (β = 0.04 (0.02), P = 0.03) and zBMI (β = 0.25 (0.12), P = 0.04) among boys and log-transformed BMI among obese girls (β = - 0.04 (0.02), P = 0.04). The intervention was significantly and inversely associated with BMI in obese boys and girls across all age groups and normal weight boys in the oldest group (over 6 years) relative to their counterparts in the comparison community.Conclusions: A community-based, multifaceted intervention was effective at slowing the rate of BMI growth among Mexican-heritage children. Our findings suggest that practitioners should consider strategies that address gender disparities and work with a variety of stakeholders to target childhood obesity.Trial Registration: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01900613 . Registered 16th July 2013. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In California's central valley, childhood obesity rates are above the national average. The majority of families living in the rural, agricultural communities of this region are immigrant of Mexican heritage, and face numerous social and environmental challenges. Demographic and anthropometric data were collected from a population of Mexican-heritage children 3-8 years (N = 609) and families (N = 466) living in two central valley communities. Overall, 45 % of children and 82 % of mothers were classified as overweight or obese. Multivariable analyses indicated that mother's BMI and acculturation level were positively associated with child BMI z-score. Most children classified as overweight or obese (92 % and 53 %, respectively) were perceived as having 'normal' weight by their mothers. Childhood obesity remains a major public health issue in Mexican-heritage, central valley communities. Our model indicates that mother's BMI is predictor of child obesity, and parents tend to underestimate their child's weight status. These findings highlight a need for family-targeted and culturally-tailored approaches to address relevant perceptions of obesity and risk factors in these communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Geysers Plutonic Complex (GPC) in the California Coast Ranges underlies one of the world's premier geothermal resources. The GPC consists of three major intrusive phases, orthopyroxene-biotite microgranite porphyry, orthopyroxene-biotite granite, and hornblende-biotite-orthopyroxene granodiorite (in sequence of emplacement). These are nearly coeval and compositionally equivalent to lavas of the overlying Cobb Mountain Volcanic Center which includes (from older to younger) rhyolite of Alder Creek, dacite of Cobb Mountain, and dacite of Cobb Valley. Zircon from GPC plutonic and associated volcanic rocks were analyzed at high spatial resolution for their trace element abundances along with oxygen and hafnium isotopic compositions. Pronounced negative Eu anomalies and high incompatible trace element (e.g., Y, Hf, and U) abundances in zircon along with low Ti-in-zircon temperatures reveal that the GPC microgranite porphyry magma was more evolved than GPC granite and granodiorite. Isotopically, GPC microgranite porphyry, granite, and granodiorite zircon crystals closely overlap (δ18O = +4.76 to +9.18; εHf = +1.4 to +10.7), but a subpopulation with elevated δ18O (∼8.05) and lower εHf (∼4.4) is only present in GPC granite and granodiorite. Zircon from coeval volcanic units share this dichotomy, with a dominant population at (δ18O = +4.92 to +9.38; εHf = +3.4 to +11.3) and a generally minor population with elevated δ18O and low εHf, which is particularly prominent in dacite of Cobb Valley. Anticorrelated δ18O and εHf values indicate progressive assimilation of Franciscan Complex basement rocks, but fractional crystallization was decoupled from crustal assimilation. Together with published U-Th-Pb geochronology, these data reveal distinct degrees of crust-mantle interaction and constrain the thermochemical conditions during different stages in the evolution of a composite intrusive body that fed the GPC and contemporaneous volcanoes. A thermal model for such a body emplaced at ∼7 km depth quantitatively matches the GPC zircon age distribution when magma accumulation started at low recharge rates (0.1 km3/ka), intermittently peaked during a brief flare-up (4 km3/ka for 50 ka), and then returned to a low recharge flux (0.1 km3/ka). This model also qualitatively explains the initial presence of small-volume, highly evolved melts forming the microgranite porphyry, followed by massive emplacement of less evolved magmas forming the GPC granite-granodiorite complex. During this second stage, crustal assimilation locally intensified due to prior thermal priming of the country rock. The total injected magma volume into the upper-crustal reservoir between c. 2.1 and 1.1 Ma amounts to ∼300 km3, which is about three to four times the known volume from geothermal well penetration into the GPC. The accumulation of large volumes of silicic magma along the western North American continental margin in the wake of the northward migrating Gorda slab edge thus appears limited to a brief (c. 50 ka) pulse of high magma influx from the mantle that was pre- and post-dated by protracted low-flux magmatism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pipeline programs can help increase diversity in health care by engaging underrepresented minority groups to pursue higher education and training in medical fields. Here we describe the implementation of Health Career Collaborative, a pipeline program designed to connect high school students with health care professionals, and the transition to remote delivery of the curriculum. This study is a retrospective, descriptive observational study where the baseline characteristics of participating students were evaluated via preparticipation surveys. This study took place in a community with an area deprivation index of 6 at a high school in southern California in conjunction with an academic medical center and level I trauma center. Due to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, the program transitioned to a virtual setting in the second half of the academic year. A total of 37 high school student participants enrolled in the 2019-2020 Health Career Collaborative program, with over 97% identifying as Hispanic, 89% female, and 92% between the ages of 15 and 17. Ninety-five percent of students indicated plans to graduate from high school and attend college, and 89% agreed with having a mentor to help plan for their future. While high school students had exposure to several health topics prior to the program, students reported a preference to learn about health topics from doctors compared to other sources. An online platform helped facilitate more interaction with health care professionals and could improve feasibility of implementing pipeline programs because physical space and transportation are not required. • Health Career Collaborative's virtual implementation increased connection with underrepresented minority students during COVID-19. • Baseline characteristics of participants can shape medical mentorship programs. • Online outreach programs can increase participation of varied health professionals. • Online outreach programs can alleviate transportation and venue barriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The present paper examines the influence of age and gender on food patterns of Latino children.Design: Data are from baseline of a 5-year, quasi-experimental obesity prevention study: Niños Sanos, Familia Sana (NSFS; Healthy Children, Healthy Families). In 2012, the researchers interviewed Latino parents, using a thirty-item questionnaire to ask about their children's food consumption and feeding practices. Statistical tests included t tests and ANCOVA.Setting: Rural communities in California's Central Valley, USA.Subjects: Two hundred and seventeen parents (87-89% born in Mexico) and their children (aged 2-8 years).Results: Fifty-one per cent of the children were overweight or obese (≥85th percentile of BMI for age and gender). Mean BMI Z-scores were not significantly different in boys (1·10 (SD 1·07)) and girls (0·92 (SD 1·04); P=0·12). In bivariate analysis, children aged 2-4 years consumed fast and convenience foods less often (P=0·04) and WIC (Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children)-allowable foods more often than children aged 5-8 years (P=0·01). In ANCOVA, neither age nor gender was significantly related to food patterns. Mother's acculturation level was positively related to children's consumption of fast and convenience foods (P=0·0002) and negatively related to consumption of WIC foods (P=0·01). Providing role modelling and structure in scheduling meals and snacks had a positive effect on the vegetable pattern (P=0·0007), whereas meal skipping was associated with more frequent fast and convenience food consumption (P=0·04).Conclusions: Acculturation and child feeding practices jointly influence food patterns in Latino immigrant children and indicate a need for interventions that maintain diet quality as children transition to school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Overweight and obese children are likely to develop serious health problems. Among children in the U.S., Latino children are affected disproportionally by the obesity epidemic. Niños Sanos, Familia Sana (Healthy Children, Healthy Family) is a five-year, multi-faceted intervention study to decrease the rate of BMI growth in Mexican origin children in California's Central Valley. This paper describes the methodology applied to develop and launch the study. Methods/Design Investigators use a community-based participatory research approach to develop a quasi- experimental intervention consisting of four main components including nutrition, physical activity, economic and art-community engagement. Each component's definition, method of delivery, data collection and evaluation are described. Strategies to maintain engagement of the comparison community are reported as well. Discussion We present a study methodology for an obesity prevention intervention in communities with unique environmental conditions due to rural and isolated location, limited infrastructure capacity and limited resources. This combined with numerous cultural considerations and an unstable population with limited exposure to researcher expectations necessitates reassessment and adaptation of recruitment strategies, intervention delivery and data collection methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the Chapter 821 of the California legislature, which exempts the California children from risk of mandatory vaccinations. It mentions that Chapter 821 makes amendments in personal belief regarding exemption from mandated immunizations for admission in schools under the California Health and Safety Code. It discusses the U.S. Supreme Court cases of Jacobson v. Massachusetts and Zucht v. King regarding exemption of mandatory vaccinations from school admission.

An abstract of the article "Ninos Sanos, Familia Sana: Mexican Immigrant Study Protocol for Multifaceted CBPR Recruitment to Combat Childhood Obesity in 2 Rural California Towns" by Adela de Ia Torre and colleagues is presented.

Abstract Objective To examine factors related to attendance of Mexican-heritage parents at community-based nutrition classes to prevent childhood obesity. Methods Starting in 2011, interviewers collected baseline data from Niños Sanos Familia Sana ( Healthy Children, Healthy Families ) participants in rural California. Educators maintained attendance logs from 2012 to 2014. Informed by the Theory of Planned Behavior, interviewers administered an exit survey in 2015 to collect data on attitudes, subjective norms, health motivations, and perceived control related to attendance. Multivariable ordinal logistic regression analysis examined the correlates of attendance (n = 194, intervention group only). Results Controlling for mother's age, marital status, acculturation, and employment, attitudes and subjective norms were significantly related to attendance (odds ratio = 1.27; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.18–1.37; P <.001). Conclusions and Implications In these Mexican-heritage participants, attitudes and subjective norms were significant correlates of attendance. The Theory of Planned Behavior may shed light on attendance of high-risk groups but further testing of instruments is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An abstract of the article "Use of Worn Accelerometers to Measure Physical Activity in Mexican-heritage Children in California's Central Valley" by Sara E. Schaefer and colleagues is presented.

In April 2014 an outbreak of low pathogenic avian influenza H5N8 North American genetic lineage was diagnosed in a commercial quail operation in Stanislaus County, California. Sudden increase in mortality prompted the submission of 20 Japanese quail hens (Coturnix c. japonica) to the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory, Turlock Branch. Oropharyngeal and cloacal swabs tested positive for influenza A virus H5N8 by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The virus was subsequently isolated. In vivo assay and sequencing of the hemagglutinin protein cleavage site classified the virus as a North American genetic lineage of low pathogenicity for chickens. Following the diagnosis, a rapid and coordinated response took place to contain the outbreak. The affected premise was depopulated, cleaned, and disinfected. Three areas from the affected premises-a 3 kilometer (km) radius (High Risk Zone), a 3-10 km area (Buffer Zone), and a 10-20 km (Surveillance Zone)-were established for avian influenza testing of commercial and noncommercial poultry operations. Surveillance testing and rapid control measures were successful in the control and eradication of the outbreak and revealed no area of spread of the virus from the index flock. This report describes the history, diagnosis, surveillance, and control measures applied to manage this outbreak.

Latino children experience higher rates of obesity than do non-Latino white children. Family-centered nutrition interventions can slow the rate of weight gain in this population. Niños Sanos, Familia Sana (Healthy Children, Healthy Family) is a 5-year, community-based, participatory research study that targets rural Mexican-origin farmworker families with children aged 2 to 8 years in California's Central Valley. Adaptation of a culturally relevant obesity prevention program involved qualitative research to tailor key obesity prevention messages, pilot testing and implementation of key messages and activities at family nights, and continual modification to incorporate culturally innovative elements. Of the 238 families enrolled, 53% (125) attended the recommended minimum of 5 (of 10 possible) classes during the first year. A university and community partnership can guide development of a culturally tailored obesity prevention program that is suitable for reaching a high-risk Mexican-origin audience through cooperative extension and other public health programs.

Marine picoplankton are central mediators of many oceanic biogeochemical processes, but much of their biology and ecology remains ill defined. One approach to better defining these environmentally significant microbes involves the acquisition of genomic data that can provide information about genome content, metabolic capabilities, and population variability in picoplankton assemblages. Previously, we constructed and phylogenetically screened a Bacterial Artificial Chromosome (BAC) library from surface water picoplankton of Monterey Bay. To further describe niche partitioning, metabolic variability, and population structure in coastal picoplankton populations, we constructed and compared several picoplankton BAC libraries recovered from different depths in Monterey Bay. To facilitate library screening, a rapid technique was developed (ITS-LH-PCR) to identify and quantify ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene-containing BAC clones in BAC libraries. The approach exploited natural length variations in the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) located between SSU and LSU rRNA genes, as well as the presence and location of tRNA-alanine coding genes within the ITS. The correspondence between ITS-LH-PCR fragment sizes and 16S rRNA gene phylogenies facilitated rapid identification of rRNA genes in BAC clones without requiring direct DNA sequencing. Using this approach, 35 phylogenetic groups (previously identified by cultivation or PCR-based rRNA gene surveys) were detected and quantified among the BAC clones. Since the probability of recovering chimeric rRNA gene sequences in large insert BAC clones was low, we used these sequences to identify potentially chimeric sequences from previous PCR amplified clones deposited in public databases. Full-length SSU rRNA gene sequences from picoplankton BAC libraries, cultivated bacterioplankton, and nonchimeric RNA genes were then used to refine phylogenetic analyses of planktonic marine gamma Proteobacteria, Roseobacter, and Rhodospirillales species.

Objective: This study was undertaken to determine which investigative tools are of most clinical benefit in a routine postoperative fever workup and to describe which postoperative patients require closer investigation at the time of fever., Study Design: We performed a retrospective analysis of 676 patients undergoing exploratory laparotomy for a gynecologic condition who had a fever of 38.0 degrees C (100.4 degrees F) or higher. Charts were reviewed for independent variables related to their diagnosis and surgery in addition to any workup for fever. An estimate of the total charge of a routine workup was performed. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS for Windows, version 10.1., Results: We found 194 patients (29%) had a postoperative temperature of 38.0 degrees C or higher. A laboratory/radiographic workup for the fever was performed in 119 women (61%). Only 15% of urinalyses, 14% of urine cultures, 7% of blood cultures, 14% of chest radiographs, and 17% of sputum cultures were positive. There were several significant differences between those with and without serious infections that can guide management of postoperative patients. The total charge for laboratory/radiographic workup was 48,432 US dollars or 2201 US dollars per serious infection diagnosed., Conclusion: Approximately 29% of women undergoing laparotomy by gynecologists have a fever of 38.0 degrees C (100.4 degrees F) or higher. We found the majority of fever workups were of low clinical yield and added moderate cost. Significant infection is associated with surgery for malignancy, bowel resection, number of febrile days, higher fever, and moderately increased white blood cell count. Only patients with these characteristics are most likely to benefit from laboratory and/or radiographic workup of fever.